Do You Like Red Wine Blends? Have You Considered a Bordeaux?

Image - Decanter.com

Red wine blends have become very popular. There are several very popular and inexpensive red blends with catchy names on the grocery store shelves and on menus at restaurants. If you enjoy these red blends, let me introduce you to some that are even better. Much better.

Bordeaux, in France, is one of the greatest wine producing regions in the world. Its 60 appellations include two widely known regions referred to as the "Right Bank" and "Left Bank" depending on which side of the Dordogne River it is located. 

Different dominant grapes used in each of its wines also define the two banks.  In Bordeaux, the name of the game is red blends not varietals. So, it's the combination of the grapes, soil, and climate (terroir) that defines the wines. 

In Bordeaux, wines do not identify the grapes used in their production on the label. Rather, it lists the appellation where the grapes are grown.

Each of the two banks of Bordeaux focuses on different grapes as their primary component. On the Right Bank, the dominant grape used in their red blends is Merlot, but they will also include Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. On the Left Bank, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon but their blends also include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère.

The white blends of Bordeaux much rarer, but are predominately based on Sauvignon Blanc blended with smaller percentages of Semillion and sometimes Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris.

So, if you've found yourself tiring of some of the popular cheap American red blends, step up your game and give a Bordeaux a try. They aren't all expensive. You can actually find some great values from Bordeaux.

Next time we'll look at another famous region in France known for its blends - The Rhone Valley. Until then, Cheers!

Bordeaux - The Right Bank

Bordeaux is one of the greatest wine producing regions in the world. It is divided into two distinct regions referred to as the "Right Bank" and "Left Bank" depending on which side of the Dordogne River it is located.  Different dominant grapes used in each of its wines also define the two banks.  In Bordeaux, the name of the game is red blends not varietal superstars. So it's the combination of the grapes, soil, and climate (terroir) that defines the wines. 

In Bordeaux, wines do not identify the grapes used in their production on the label. Rather, the appellation where the grapes are grown will be listed. This can be quite confusing at first when trying to decide on purchasing a Bordeaux.  But let me try to make it a bit simpler. 

First, there are several appellations on the Right Bank or 'The Libournais' as the French call it.  The three primary appellations are Saint Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. If you can remember these three you can almost always determine if a Bordeaux is from the Right Bank versus the Left Bank.  But that's only half the equation. 

The other thing you need to know is about the grapes of Bordeaux. Each of the two banks of Bordeaux focuses on different grapes as their primary component. On the Right Bank, the dominant grape used in their blends is Merlot. On the Left Bank, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon. Other grapes are typically blended with these grapes and, by local regulations, may include Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. 

So now armed with these two pieces of information, to first-order, you should be able to figure out that a red wine from Saint Émilion, Pomerol or Fronsac will be a Merlot-based blend. All the other red blends from Bordeaux will use Cabernet Sauvignon as the primary grape.

And, by the way, there are no white wines produced on the Right Bank. In Bordeaux, the whites come from the Left Bank, which we'll explore next time.

So, if you are like me, you'll want to have these simple clues with you when you are shopping for wines from Bordeaux.  And I'd suggest trying a sampling of wines from the Right Bank to really get a sense of how the Merlot grape is used in their wines.

Next time we'll take a look at the Left Bank. But for now, pull the cork on a Bordeaux from one of the Right Bank appellations (remember Saint Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac) and begin to develop an understanding of the wines of this region. Cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Tertre du Moulin Bordeaux ($15)

This red blend is from Saint Émilion which is an appellation on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in France.  Being from Saint Émilion, it is predominately a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A great value for a wine with a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Goes great with meats and cheeses.

What is a Bordeaux Wine?

Nothing about French wine seems to be straightforward or simple. But once you get to know the various wine regions of France it becomes a bit clearer.

In the past couple of postings I've touched on the French wine region of Burgundy.  I discussed that there are Bourgogne Rouge (red) and Bourgogne Blanc (white) wines.  The reds of Burgundy are primarily Pinot Noir with the exception that the sub-region of Beaujolais produces red wines from the Gamay grape.  The Chardonnay grape dominates the white wines of Burgundy, with all wines from the Chablis sub-region being produced from Chardonnay.

So now let's take a look at the wines from another famous wine region in France, Bordeaux.  Here, more than 90% of the wines produced are reds. The primary grapes used in red Bordeaux wines are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. But, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere are also permitted to be used.

The white wines, again comprising less than 10% of Bordeaux's production, are made from the Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  This is quite a contrast to the not so distant past. Prior to the 1960's, Bordeaux's vineyards were dominated by white wine producing grapes.  Consumer tastes changed and red wine production methods improved and now we see the reds dominating Bordeaux wines.

Within Bordeaux, the geography is such that it is divided into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The banks refer to which side of the Gironde River, or its two smaller rivers, they are located. And each of the Left and Right banks have multiple sub-regions that all produce great wines based on different grapes.

And, there is one other key sub-region in Bordeaux. It is called Sauternes and it is famous for its sweet dessert wines made mostly of Semillon grape, with some Sauvignon Blanc.

There's a lot to cover in Bordeaux. So next time we'll start exploring the sub-regions of Bordeaux in a bit more detail. For now, cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Château de Belcier ($10)

This Bordeaux is a blend of 69% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 6% Malbec.  This is very typical of the Bordeaux blends of the Right Bank with its focus on Merlot. It is from the sub-region of Bordeaux called "Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux."

As you can see from the label, it is "Mis en Bouteille au Château" meaning it was bottled at the estate or on the property of the winery. But, the "Grand Vin de Bordeaux" is an unregulated term.  It is most often used as a way for a château to indicate that this is their best wine, a step up from the second bottling.